ABSTRACT
Characteristically continuous facial myokymia is a pathognomonic, exceedingly rare physical sign of intrinsic brain-stem lesions e.g. multiple sclerosis (where the myokymia lasts only for a few months), pontine glioma (where it is unremitting for years). The physiopathogenesis is unclear. Electromyographic patterns are characteristic. Therapy and prognosis are related to the basic aetio-pathological process. Only two out of 132 cases of intrinsic brain-stem lesions in the department of Neurosurgery, Seth G.s. Medical College, Bombay over a period of 3 decades, exemplify its rarity. These two cases are reported here and the relevant literature is reviewed.
Subject(s)
Adult , Brain Neoplasms/physiopathology , Brain Stem/physiopathology , Cranial Irradiation , Electromyography , Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem/physiology , Facial Muscles/innervation , Fasciculation/physiopathology , Female , Glioma/physiopathology , Humans , Male , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
A case of late progressive myelo-radiculopathy associated with severe canal stenosis secondary to post-traumatic hypertrophy of thoracic laminae and ossification of spinal ligaments viz. ligamentum flavum and posterior longitudinal ligament in the absence of developmental spinal stenosis or post-traumatic deformity, is presented with a brief critical review of the relevant literature.